It has been a month since the first seeds went into the ground. Thirty days later I am the proud mother of green shoots and little white flowers. Every day, coffee in hand, I walk to the north side of my house full of anticipation. What will I see? Are they thriving? Are they thirsty? Will there be a new arrival? How tall are they? And every morning, my day begins with a smile. If there were a wall, I’d probably mark a line on it to record their progress. I am a very proud natural mother.
There is a bit of a problem, though. No labels. So I’m not sure what exactly is growing where. (Make note to self to label them next year). There is a row of something that looks like lettuce. It is very happy and prolific. A friend told me you are supposed to thin them out so that everyone has room to grow. But I can’t bear to sacrifice a few just to make room for the others. These are my new green children and I love them all equally. How can I choose who to pull and who to save?
Raspberries and strawberries are blooming. The blueberry bush I planted last year (that I thought I had killed) is thriving but holding back on its blossoms. The raspberry plant has tripled in size and furry flowers are appearing. There should be fruit by July. I can taste pie already.
Some seeds germinate faster than others. The corn was a slow starter but had a growth spurt and is already over 3” tall. The lacy tops of my carrots just wiggled their heads through the dirt yesterday. Not every seed took root. Sadly, neither the basil nor the chives made it. Perhaps the conditions weren’t right. Maybe the soil wasn’t the right temperature or maybe the moon and the stars weren’t aligned properly. I’m simply amazed that any of the seeds I planted are actually growing. So I made a trip to Home Depot to buy plants that were already started to replace the ones that wouldn’t sprout. There is a new uber green option for buying plants in fiber pots. No plastic to throw away. The pot and the plant go into the ground together. www.bonnieplants.com
Melons anyone? According to my seed packets, June is the month to plant your melons. Last week I prepared the soil as the packages instructed by creating the perfect 2’ diameter and 1’ high mounds of dirt. Apparently they are princesses and need a special bed. The soil was hot and perfect for planting. Five days later and my orange watermelons have already sprouted.
It’s not too late to enjoy the numerous rewards of gardening. Plant something today. Be your own ‘farmer’s market’. Be green. Be happy. Make your garden grow.
Our corn is huge, too! Planted three weeks ago and it’s probably half a foot tall! I am also growing mint, which, if you’re going to do that never ever plant it in the ground. It’s absolutely gigantic and would take over the whole garden if we let it.
Are you challenging me to a corn war? Because I think you are. You just pulled the “my corn is bigger than your corn” challenge. It’s on, baby! 😉